1. Field of the Invention
The invention is related to the field of glide boards intended for snow boarding and it is specifically related to a device for retaining a boot with respect to the snow board.
2. Description of Background and Relevant Information
Snow boarding is traditionally practiced with a glide board, known as a "board" that a user steers via forces that he generates with the movements of the body and the limbs. These forces are transmitted to the board by the lower limbs through the boots and the means for retaining the boots with respect to the glide board, known as "retention means". As a result, the steering of the board is at least partially influenced by the characteristics of the boots and the retention means, independently of all other parameters.
The user should be able to steer the board over the snow by following the trajectory that he wants, and he must also be able to lift the board as high as possible off the ground in order to execute artistic figures or pass over obstacles.
Prior art has suggested at least two broad categories of boots and boot retention means with respect to the board.
The first category consists of flexible shoes, or "boots", that are retained on the board by wedge and strap systems, an example thereof being provided by the document DE 91 13 766. The flexibility of the boots and the straps facilitates the user's leg movements.
However, the attaching operation of the boots on the board is not very convenient, particularly with regard to the tightening and adjustment of the straps, which takes up a lot of time.
In addition, these systems are voluminous and do not facilitate either the storage or the transportation of the boards.
The second category consists of more rigid boots, that are retained on the board by one or several bindings that generally cooperate with the heel and the tip of the shell base of the boot, one example thereof being provided by the document EP (A1) 525 580. The stiffness of the boot/binding assembly facilitates the precision with which the board is steered. However, the retention is too stiff and allows no potential for any looseness of the boot with respect to the board.
The document FR 2 673 546 has designed a solution with a boot rest support mounted pivotably on a base about an axis that is oriented along the longitudinal axis of the boot. However, this principle is also based on a concept of retention means for a rigid shell boot. The boot is mounted on the rest support by means of pivoting stirrups that retain the tip and the heel of the boot. The attaching operation remains delicate and inconvenient. It is done by engaging the heel in one of the pivoting stirrups and by manually actuating a lever that is affixed to the second stirrup in order to close the binding, while at the same time keeping the sole of the boot flat on the support plate. In addition, such a binding means is only suitable for retaining a rigid shell snow boarding boot and is not adapted for the retention of boots having flexible or semi-flexible uppers, which are in greater demand by today's practitioners.
The document WO 95/09035 suggests a binding system for a boot of the flexible type that does away with the straps, buckles and stirrups of traditional bindings. The system is based on a mechanism of jaws connected to a base, and it allows the engagement of an anchoring means affixed to the boot.
One of the disadvantages is that the attaching operation is done "blindly"; or in other words, the user does not have a clear view of the anchoring elements and the jaws across from each other during the attaching operation, and must therefore proceed with the correct positioning of the boot and the anchoring thereof by touch alone. In some circumstances, such as in deep snow, it becomes extremely difficult, if not impossible, to undertake the attaching operation of the board.
Another disadvantage is the necessity of connecting the central jaw to the control mechanism by a relatively long transverse shaft that is subject to substantial bending and torsional stresses that are capable of damaging the latching device.